The Final Battle
by BenRG
Summary: I saw 'Gladiator' and the opening battle scene inspired this.  After all, not everyone will be glad to be ruled by NeoQueen Serenity


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The Final Battle

A Sailor Moon fanfiction by BenRG

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Legal Disclaimer

Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi and originally published by Kodansha Limited. The original animé was produced by TOEI Entertainment. 

This is a non-profit work written for free distribution through the world-wide web. The author makes no claim of legal ownership of any canon characters from the manga or animé.

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Author's Notes

I'm a fan of 'Gladiator'. Maybe it is just me, but that opening battle suddenly seemed so _right_ as being very like one of the hard, bitter experiences that Neo-Queen Serenity must have one day very soon…

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Censor: PG-13

The Final Battle

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In the early years of the 21st Century, a great ecological catastrophe struck the planet Earth, poisoning the air and shredding the vital atmospheric layers that protected all life on the planet from the deadly radiation raining down from space. Having no other choice, the young Japanese superheroine known as Sailor Moon froze the entire world under a shroud of magical ice for a hundred years in order to give the planet's ruined atmospheric envelope time to repair itself. 

Finally, in the early 22nd Century, at a single whispered command from the Messiah of Light, the ice vanished as quickly as it appeared. While many embraced Sailor Moon as the saviour of the human race and gladly offered her the throne of Queen of Earth and the Moon, there were many nations and many leaders that were not happy to give up their independence to a foreign ruler. Many peoples were unwilling to surrender their own governments, even for the great benefits offered by the rediscovered technology of the Silver Millennium. Too many people preferred to be enslaved to disease, poverty and crime rather than bend their knee to the Queen of the Crystal Millennium.

So, a great war broke out, the last war to be fought on the Planet Earth for a thousand years. With the power of the Silver Millennium and the magic of her Sailor Senshi on the side of Neo-Queen Serenity, as Sailor Moon was now known, no one truly doubted the outcome. However, many years of bitter fighting lay ahead…

Until, finally, in the cold wastes of Alaska, North America, one last stronghold of military resistance stood between Neo-Queen Serenity and the promise of peace for all of humankind…

'The Chronicles of the Crystal Millennium'

- Setsuna Meioh

The snow had started falling, again, Mamoru Chiba realised bitterly as he gunned the engine on his repulsorlift speeder-bike. As he swept towards the General Staff Command Post, his cycle, and the four escort bikes, swept through the ranks of Crystal Tokyo's army. There were light and heavy infantry, wrapped in their thermal insulation capes, pilots sitting beside their parked air fighting vehicles and tankers sitting beside their parked Battle-Mechs. Many fighting men and women stood up, hoping to see the face of the legendary warrior-king named Endymion.

The scene was a typically bleak one for these northern reaches of Alaska in North America. At the far end of the barren frozen plain stood a thick pine forest that contained the last stronghold of the Free World Alliance, the tattered combined armies of North America, Europe and Asia who had refused to accept his Usako as the rightful queen of this world. 

Perhaps, on dark, quiet nights, Mamoru could understand their reluctance. After all, what sane government would dissolve itself in favour of rule by a young woman whose only previous qualification seemed to be having saved the planet from otherworldly monsters a few times? However, right now, when he was cold, wet and in a generally bad mood, Mamoru wasn't in as generous a frame of mind. _It isn't as if we have taken anything away from anyone_, he thought. _The World Congress has real power, and they've never seen cause to block any of our policies so far. People are free to do as they want so long as they don't hurt anyone. People are free to worship the God they choose in their own way. Thanks to Ami's ideas, the deserts have bloomed. Famine and plague are practically things of the past! Yet these people still continue to fight; As if being subject to starvation and disease were worth it if you could still have certain philosophical abstracts underpinning your government!_

Of course, Mamoru knew that it was more than abstracts to a lot of the people hiding in the caves dug under that forest. Some, like the former government of the United States of America, valued their republican ideals and their self-determination. The thought of being ruled by a queen, and a foreign one at that, was intolerable to them. This was ironic in a way, because from Mamoru's own experience with Americans (during his time at Harvard), he got the impression that a lot of them didn't like their government very much and loudly doubted its' democratic credentials. The vast majority of the FWA, however, were totalitarian and other dictatorial governments. No surprise that _they_ weren't ready to give up their power and submit themselves to Neo-Queen Serenity's justice for the many awful crimes they had committed to gain and keep their power!

Mamoru squeezed the etheric breaks and his speeder-bike jerked to a halt in front of his headquarters tent, more-or-less in the middle of the line of camps and fortifications that made up the final position of the army of the Crystal Millennium. A young soldier ran forwards to take charge of the bike as Mamoru jumped off and walked to where his three fellow generals stood. "Hello, Endymion-sama," Haruka Ten'oh, Sailor Uranus, said with a tight smile. If Mamoru hated the arctic chill of this autumn morning, Haruka, wearing her hideously impractical blue-and-gold Senshi Fuku, must be colder still. 

"'Ruka-kun," Mamoru replied, nodding to the Champion of Sky and Storm, making her smile. It was a standing joke between them: If she called him by his recently-adopted royal name of Endymion, he would use the masculine informal tense of her name, a tease on her sexuality and her cross-dressing habits. "Any word from the envoy yet?"

Haruka pulled her wolf-skin cape closer around her against the cold wind and shook her head. "I don't like it, Endymion," she said quietly. "He's something like two hours overdue now."

"Will they fight, Majesty?" asked another voice. 

Mamoru turned to look at Hotaru Tomoe, Sailor Saturn, and smiled at the petite, dark-haired woman. "We'll know soon enough, Taru-chan," he said quietly. The dark-eyed Senshi of Death and Rebirth nodded pensively.

Mamoru turned around to look at the huge army that they had gathered here. There were a full ten legions of infantry as well as regiments of Mech-Warriors, whole wings of aircraft and hundreds of artillery pieces. Given the disparity in numbers and the enormous technological edge that resurrecting the technologies of the Silver Millennium gave the Imperial forces, the battle promised to be hideously one-sided. Suddenly, Mamoru Chiba, King Endymion of the Earth, felt sick of the fighting. Wasn't the birth of Crystal Tokyo supposed to herald the beginning of a golden age of peace? Somewhere along the line, Sailor Pluto had forgotten to mention to them that they would have to crush those who didn't _want_ peace on their terms before they could enjoy any 'golden age'.

On an instinct, Mamoru's eyes raised to where his Usako, his beloved wife and Queen, Serenity, stood with her four faithful bodyguards, the Inner Senshi, and a hand-picked phalanx of infantry for the sake of further protection. He knew that his pure-hearted soul-mate was tortured by the necessity of this war. However, she believed in their aims. She would doubtless be down here too, if it weren't for her brush with death during the Battle of Berlin (and the fact that Rei had threatened to tie her up and sit on her if she so much as _tried_ to take part in any more battles after that scare). Through their empathic link, Mamoru felt his Usako touch his soul in a reassuring way and he smiled slightly.

Suddenly, Haruka's harsh voice cut into Mamoru's epiphany. "Blasted Gaijin barbarians," she growled, hugging herself to keep warm. "A people ought to know when they are conquered!"

Mamoru had to laugh when he heard this. "Would you, 'Ruka-chan?" he asked bitterly. "Would I?"

"Majesty!" a voice cried out. Mamoru's head snapped around as Michiru Kaioh, Sailor Neptune, burst out of a nearby vehicle equipped with a large sensor array and ran over to her King and sister Outer Senshi. "The radar is picking up something moving across the plain towards us!"

Mamoru grabbed a set of macro-binoculars and trained them along the direction indicated by the aqua-haired young woman. A speeder bike with a limp body in its' saddle was racing across the plain. Within a few seconds, it reached the front defensive lines of the Imperial camp. Mamoru watches soldiers recoil in horror at the sight, and he couldn't blame them. The envoy had returned to report on his mission… without his head.

One enterprising soldier managed to grab the speeding repulsorlift vehicle and stop it. Several medics ran forwards to pull the limp, decapitated corpse from the saddle. Michiru, Hotaru and even the tough-natured Haruka looked sick.

Suddenly, an amplified voice rang out from the edge of the forest. "_Hello there!_" Mamoru looked up again and saw a black-dressed figure, a Delta Force commando, standing holding something in the air… A human head. "_This is what we think of your 'offer of peace', you bastards!_" the man screamed. "_We will die _free_!_" That last sentiment was echoed by hundreds or possibly thousands of voices from within the forest. The man threw the head forwards and it landed in the dirt.

Mamoru sighed and pulled off his cape, revealing his white, brown and green Sailor Earth armour. "It seems that they will fight," he told a grim and scowling Sailor Saturn. Through his empathic link, he could feel Serenity's sorrow and anguish at the sudden certainty of what was to come. He turned to Uranus. "You know what to do," he said. Haruka nodded and raised her hand into the air. Like the well-oiled machine that it was, the army suddenly stirred into motion. Infantrymen ran to their positions, the engines of vehicles began to power up and gunner loaded their weapons. "On my signal, unleash hell," Mamoru reminded the commander of the Outer Senshi before jumping back onto his bike. 

"All artillery stand by!" Haruka shouted as Mamoru gunned the engine and swept off towards his chosen spot of ground. "First and second assault waves to your positions!" Looking in one of his wing mirrors, Mamoru noted the blonde tomboy giving her wife a quick kiss before the two of them rushed to take their own positions in the lines.

~*~*~*~

About two minutes later, Mamoru was in the forests, actually behind the main body of the FWA's forces, according to the reconnaissance data provided by Imperial satellites. Mamoru braked his bike at the foot of his customised Centurion-class Battle-Mech. In front of him, riding a mixed bunch of Falcon- and Centurion-class Mechs, was the hand-picked Mech-Warriors of his own Golden Legion, perhaps the finest non-magical soldiers on Earth. 

Mamoru scaled the side of his bipedal war machine and jumped into the cockpit. Once inside, he started up the Centurion's engines, pulled on his crash helmet lowered the canopy. As soon as he was certain that everything was in order, he keyed on the communications link to address his troops.

"Brothers and sisters," he announced. "It has been a long, hard journey for all of us. In a month's time, I will be sitting in the gardens of the Crystal Palace, playing with my daughter and listening to my wife telling me about her day. Imagine where you will be!" A few dry chuckles echoed in Mamoru's headset, making him smile slightly. "Remember that what we do in life, especially at its' end, echoes down through history, and what we will do _this_ day, will change history forever. Your orders are simple: Hold the line and stay with me." Mamoru smiled a bit more broadly before continuing. "And should you find yourself driving through a grassy meadow with the sun shining on your face, do not be disturbed… For it will meant that you are in Elysium… And you'll _already be dead_!" This time there was a roar of laughter. "So, my friends, are you ready?"

"_Hai, Endymion-sama!_" a hundred voices replied as one. 

Mamoru nodded and turned to the left to look at the Falcon carrying his second-in-command. "Frank, launch the flare." The Falcon's left arm elevated and a single flare popped out of the weapons racks and soared into the air. Mamoru pushed the two control levers forwards and his Battle-Mech lurched into motion…

~*~*~*~

Back at the camp, a sleet of mortar and artillery shells was slamming into the semi-transparent particle shields covering the Imperial lines. Little ripples of displaced particles were visible, flashing from the explosions. True to her orders, Haruka had not ordered a single shot fired in response. However, she was itching to do so, if only to silence the continual foul insults about Koneko-chan's parentage and personal preferences that was being hurled at them from someone in the FWA lines. Then she saw the yellow flare rise above the forests.

Haruka turned around as she pulled her Space Sword from her subspace pocket. "All batteries, stand by!" she called out. She raised the space sword into the air. Behind her, dozens of mobile artillery guns and multi-barrel rocket launchers came to life, their barrels rising up to the sky to find the optimum angle for firing upon the Alliance lines. Further forwards, troops prepared heavy repeater blaster weapons and loaded battlefield-support weapons. Haruka waited for just a moment more before dropping her sword as if cutting something. There were hundreds of surprisingly quiet 'pop' sounds as the light projectile launchers (known as 'Impact Cannon') fired. Less than a tenth of a second later, her ears were assaulted by the howl of multiple rocket launches and the deafening roar of heavy guns.

The leading edge of the forest simply vanished in a series of blinding blue-white plasma detonations and yellow-white concussion detonations. Seconds later, the repeater guns started firing as the Impact Cannon and the concussion rocket launchers 'walked' up-range, sending their blasts deeper and deeper into the forest. Seconds later, with a scream of ion engines, squadrons of starfighters dropped out of the skies and sprayed turbolaser fire as well as further concussion munitions across the enemy lines.

The artillery barrage continued for almost ninety seconds as literally hundreds of thousands of plasma and concussion warheads blasted the enemy-controlled area of the forest into a blazing wasteland. Anyone stupid enough to be above ground was incinerated by the plasma explosions or cut to pieces by the continual hail of blaster fire from the repeater guns. Anyone taking cover in trenches or foxholes were buried alive as the concussion blasts collapsed their earthworks like they were anthills. 

Haruka shuddered a little at the quality and scale of the slaughter. She then pointed forwards with her Space Sword. Suddenly, the ground along the leading edge of the Imperial lines came alive. One-thousand six-hundred hardened light infantrymen, the 23rd Legion suddenly rose to their feet and began to move forwards in staggered groups, keeping their blaster rifles trained on the blazing edge of the forest. Haruka immediately saw Michiru. Compared with the grey-and-white camouflage of the ordinary soldiers, her white, green and blue fuku stood out a mile. "Be careful, Michi-chan," Haruka said to herself. A few moments after the vanguard started moving, UC-8 Cheyenne troop carrying VSTOL aircraft began to swoop forwards, carrying the men and women of the 8th Regiment Air Cavalry. With a measured, purposeful stride, several phalanxes of Nova- and Timber Wolf-class Battle-Mechs began to march forwards, crossing the lines of advancing infantry as they pushed towards the enemy lines. Finally, the elephantine shapes of Mammoth-class troop-carrying Battle-Mechs moved forwards, carrying the infantrymen of the 3rd and 31st Legions in their armoured bellies.

Facing the very real risk of having his entire army entombed by the artillery barrage, the FWA commander made a courageous, if risky, decision. He ordered all his available troops to attack. Dozens of ramps dug into the forest floor opened up. Thousands of troops from dozens of countries, armed to the teeth, and some carrying weapons captured from Crystal Tokyo forces, began to move forwards silently, trying to get as close to their oncoming enemies as possible. Dozens of modified beach-buggies equipped with anti-armour rifles and machineguns also raced forwards, attempting to take the battle to the enemy as best as they could.

Michiru saw the enemy troops as soon as they emerged, thanks to the Aqua Mirror. She re-attached her talisman of power to the right forearm of her fuku and raised her Soul Blade. "Shielding!" she called out. As the machinegun bullets and rifle-launched grenades dropped down, the Imperial troops raised their left arms and activated the shield generators mounted in their armour. The first rank of troops covered the line's front and the second rank covered their heads, deflecting most of the fire with ease.

The Alliance Fast Attack Vehicles shot forwards and came into view of the Battle-Mechs. Recoilless rifles shot 70mm armour-piercing shells at the lumbering bipedal war machines. They scored several direct hits, and Michiru saw several of the big war machines stagger. However, the probability plate armour covering the massive vehicles could handle such light hits without difficulty. Seconds later powerful turbolaser and blaster cannon mounted in the Mechs' arms blazed into life, not just destroying but _vaporising_ the lightly-armoured FAVs. It was a one-sided slaughter. The few survivors tried to regroup, only to be attacked by the UC-8s and their escorting atmospheric fighters using concussion missiles.

Having no choice, the Alliance infantry pushed forwards, charging towards the Imperial infantry. The first few hundred were cut down as Michiru's soldiers fired their blasters, the returned fire ricocheting uselessly off their armour. A few were cut down by fire from captured blasters, but the line held. Haruka saw her wife raise her hands and cry out a spell. A whirling sphere of water-elemental energy raced forwards and consumed a dozen luckless Alliance soldiers. 

Still the Alliance troops, men and women convinced that death was preferable than life under Neo-Queen Serenity's rule, charged towards the Imperial lines. Finally, the two groups of soldiers met, the Alliance soldier's reckless charge breaking like a wave against the ranks of disciplined Imperial troops. Now, the real advantages enjoyed by the armies of Crystal Tokyo became apparent. Fists, clubs and metal blades were useless against the soldiers' silksteel armour. Meanwhile, the plasma swords being used by the Imperial troops could cut through metal, kevlar, flesh and bone as if it were soft butter.

The screams began to echo across the barren plain. Not even the roar of energy weapons fire could drown out that awful chorus. Up on the ridge, Neo-Queen Serenity closed her eyes, refusing to see any more death and tried to swallow her nausea. She felt Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, put her arm on her shoulder and felt grateful for her friend's comforting presence. "It had to be, Usagi-chan," Rei whispered. "They left us no choice."

"I should have _found_ another way, Rei-chan," the pure-hearted girl-turned-queen replied in a broken tone of voice. "Nothing is worth this."

Just as it seemed that the sheer weight of numbers of the Alliance troops would break through the Imperial lines, Sailor Saturn led the second wave, the 51st Legion light infantry and the 18th Legion heavy infantry into the fray. The addition of 3,200 extra troops wearing near-impenetrable armour and wielding weapons that owed as much to magic as they did to science drove back the Alliance troops, who were still battling with the desperate courage of those without hope. 

The actual nature of Endymion's plan was now clear. As the infantry clashed, the Battle-Mechs were deploying to either side, creating the 'walls' of a box, preventing the enemy from going anywhere other than back towards their subterranean fortifications. Suddenly, several artillery shells exploded in the midst of the Imperial lines, killing scores of troops each. Several missiles streaked out, destroying four… no five Battle-Mechs. Haruka scowled. "What is going on?" she asked herself. Then she saw what was happening. Several dozen tanks and APCs were dug in further back into the enemy fortifications. Although the lumbering armoured vehicles were less than useless in open country, dug in to the ground in this manner, they became armoured artillery posts, capable of resisting all but a direct hit from a concussion or plasma warhead. 

Now the enemy had revealed themselves, it was easier for the Imperial air and armoured ground forces to target them. Even so, the damage that they had done to the Imperial advance had allowed the Alliance infantry to advance again. Furthermore, the enemy fortifications were hardly defenceless. As Haruka watched, a Cheyenne was shot down by a Stinger shoulder-launched SAM. 

The Senshi of Sky and Storm saw something else and cursed in a combination of anger and panic. Down below, Michiru and Hotaru had been cut off with a small number of soldiers and were desperately fighting against a particularly determined group of Alliance troops. After all, there _were_ $10-billion bounties on the head of every Senshi (and a $25-billion bounty on Koneko-chan's head in particular). "Go to her," a calm, gentle voice said. Haruka whirled to see Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto, standing behind her, her face calm and composed, as always. Haruka didn't bother to ask the mysterious woman where she had come from. Everyone knew that Setsuna was wherever she needed to be whenever she needed to be there. "I will take charge here," the Guardian of Time announced. "Go to your mate and your daughter's aid."

Setsuna didn't have to say it twice. Haruka called the winds to her aid and with her Space Sword and her Soul Blade shining with power, she soared towards where Neptune and Saturn were fighting for their lives. She slammed into the alliance troops surrounding her loved ones like a living storm, tearing them apart with a combination of physical and energy attacks.

The commander of the Alliance forces was just imagining that he could yet manage to win the day when the ground began to shake under his feet. He looked up just in time to see one of the dug-in tanks explode into flame… from a hit to the _rear_ of its' turret. With an expression of horror, he watched as the Golden Legion's Centurion and Falcon medium Battle-Mechs exploded out of the depths of the forest, turbolasers, railguns and blaster cannon spitting death at the poorly-protected rear of his lines.

At the command post, Sailor Pluto nodded and several communications technicians sent pre-arranged signals. The UC-8s began landing their troops behind the advancing Golden Legion and the Mammoths opened their armoured clamshell forward hatches to disgorge further fresh soldiers into the fray. 

Now the battle turned into a massacre. The Alliance troops had been caught by the ancient tactical trap of the pincer manoeuvre. There was no where to go, no where to retreat to, that wasn't blocked by attacking Mechs or troops. Most people would surrender faced with such a hopeless situation, but these were a people certain that life under the rule of Neo-Queen Serenity was a fate _worse_ than death, so they fought on. They continued to fight, even as the reserves carried into the battle by the Mammoths raced past the main battle and shot their way into the underground base itself, now only lightly guarded as so many soldiers were involved in the battle on the plain. They fought and died, many crushed under feet of the 50-tonne Battle-Mechs or cut down by blaster fire, the explosion of a concussion munition or the sweep of a plasma sword.

The three Outer Senshi were creating a massacre all of their own as they plunged through the enemy troops, using every bit of their power and their magically-enhanced agility and strength to the best advantage. "Space Sword… _blaster_!"

"Aqua Mirror… _reflection_!"

"Silence Glave… _surprise_!" Every shining energy attack cut down dozens of hapless Alliance troops. 

Although the hail of concussion warheads had destroyed most of the Alliance defences, including mines, deadfalls and other traps, some had survived to menace the Imperial troops. Mamoru found this out when the ground collapsed underneath his Centurion and hidden weighs crushed its' legs into a tangle of scrap. The King of Earth cursed and pulled the lever to eject his vehicle's canopy. He released his safety straps and looked up in time to see an Alliance soldier point his Eradicator rifle at him. Mamoru called the Earth War Blade to his hand and used its' shielding spell to deflect the .22"-calibre bullets. Then the man who, amongst other things, was Sailor Earth, blew his would-be killer off his feet with a Smoking Bomber attack. 

Haruka saw something. The Delta Force officer who had flung their envoy's head in an act of defiance was standing on a nearby hillock, firing captured blaster rifles from each hand, managing to keep back a whole battalion of Imperial soldiers. She _wanted_ the man who so scorned the articles of war that he would kill a man sent under a flag of truce. "_You_!" she shouted. The man turned. "Your foul dishonour is a stain on this world!" Haruka shouted, not knowing or _caring_ if the man could understand her thickly-accented English over the roar of battle. "In the name of Uranus, I _will punish you_!" The American commando snarled in a feral, half-mad way and fired both his captured energy weapons at the charging Senshi of Sky and Storm. Haruka deflected the first blasts using her Space Sword's Sky Shielding spell, then leapt acrobatically over the next shots. She landed right in front of the man, who lashed out, knocking her from her feet. Haruka somersaulted in mid-air to land on her feet and easily blocked his next clumsy blow. The man stepped back, raising his blasters. "World Shaking!" Haruka declared raising a hand at him. The energy attack blew the man onto his back. As he tried to struggle upright, Haruka cut off one of his arms at the elbow with her Space Sword. The man screamed, but was so lost in battle-madness that he could still focus his mind enough to point the other weapon at her face. At that point, a plasma blade suddenly punched through his chest as the ordinary Imperial soldiers rushed the man. Then another and another cut through the man. As he crumpled, Haruka also drove her sword into the man's back.

Mamoru was also in the thick of the battle, using his ranged powers whenever possible, but mostly hacking away with Soul Blade and War Blade. He felt something bump into his back and turned with a terrifying battle-cry, his swords raised to strike… and saw one of his soldiers, about to try and impale him with a plasma sword. The two warriors laughed in a crazy half-mad way before turning away and throwing themselves into the fray again.

~*~*~*~

Up on the hill, Usagi Tsukino-Chiba, Neo-Queen Serenity, Sailor Moon, was watching the battle with magically enhanced senses. "The President is trying to escape," she announced, much to the surprise of her Inner Senshi. 

"Are you sure, Ondango?" Rei blurted out.

"She's right," Ami Mizuno, Sailor Mercury, announced. The visor of her TACS computer was lowered over her eyes and she was watching as a sub-orbital transport aircraft was preparing to launch from a silo at the rear of the Alliance base. "It looks like the 'noble' President has decided to leave under the cover of the massacre of his remaining armies."

"Let's get him," Usagi announced, spreading her wings. Much to her surprise, a hand landed on her shoulder, restraining her. She looked around into the eyes of Minako Aino, Sailor Venus, the head of her bodyguard. "What is it V-babe?" she asked.

"Usa-chan, you are crazy if you think I am going to let you go running into the middle of that… _hell_," Mina said.

Usagi looked her friend in the eyes and Mina felt all the weight of the maturation and growing up that her friend had experienced over the years. "Mina, if we don't stop him now, then all of this," and she gestured to show the battle, "will have been for nothing." Mina sagged, but didn't loosen her grip on the Queen's shoulder. "Mina, I am going down there," Usagi announced in a quiet, reasonable tone of voice. You can help or you can get out of my way."

"Come on, Mina," the fourth Inner Senshi, Makoto Kino, Sailor Jupiter, said. The athletic brunette slammed her fist into the palm of her other hand. "I was getting itchy being kept out of this anyway."

Despite the horror unfolding below, Usagi actually managed to laugh. "Only you, Mako-chan," she said.

~*~*~*~

Mamoru led the charge of the first wave soldiers into the underground base. There was very little fighting to be done. Only non-combatants, children and others were down here. Very few, if any, had the ability or will to fight. Those who had… Well, over 3,000 troops had preceded them into this warren. All that remained was to drive the women, children, elderly, sick and the surrendered into the open.

As they did so, Mamoru saw that the fighting was over. The armies of Crystal Tokyo had crushed the last hint of resistance. Apart from Imperial troops, nothing moved on the plain below him. Feeling exhausted, but somehow relieved, he raised the Earth War Blade to the skies. "_Victory to the Crystal Millennium_!" he shouted. The troops roared in triumph.

~*~*~*~

The President of the Free World Alliance was quite surprised when his escape rocket didn't take him very far at all. For a few moments, everything seemed to be going according to plan, then the sub-orbital aircraft lurched to a halt and dropped to the ground with a resounding crash. From outside the windows, he saw a flash of lightning and the engines immediately died.

The main hatch popped open and four Secret Service agents rushed out, firing their Uzi sub-machineguns. "Burning Mandala!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Venus Meteor Shower!"

All four agents went down, maybe not dead, but certainly out of the fight. The President emerged from the hatch, blinking in the wintry sunlight, and looked at the four garishly-clothed young women standing in front of him in horror. He knew that this was the end. However, he wasn't about to be taken alive so that these _freaks_' mistress could brainwash him and use him to help enslave his nation. He pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and pressed it to his head.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

A discus of blue-white light arced through the air and sent the gun spinning from the President's hands. With a disbelieving expression the turned to look at the fifth Senshi standing not ten yards away. The woman had the most incredible open face, sunshine blonde hair and big, wide blue eyes. She also had wings like those of an angel. Of course, he knew who this was. "Neo-Queen Serenity," he growled.

"I think that 'Sailor Moon' is more appropriate for the time and place," Usagi said with a girlish giggle.

The man was about to launch himself at the Queen of Crystal Tokyo. He didn't know why, maybe he would try to throttle the _witch_. That became irrelevant, though, when he heard a feminine voice behind him. "Love-me Chain Encircle!" A sparkling golden chain, seemingly made up of hearts linked together, shot around the man, pinning his arms to his side. The chain jerked and the man fell to his knees. He looked up again as Sailor Moon walked right up to him.

"Well?" Usagi asked. "Are you finally ready to give up? Or do you want to see if you can kill a _billion_ people with this stupid war?"

The man looked up at Usagi. "As long as one man or woman is free, you won't have won," he growled. 

Much to his surprise, the Queen of Crystal Tokyo raised her head and began to _laugh_, a joyous, bell-like sound. "Oh you silly man," she said. "All my subjects are free! Free from disease, hunger and poverty! Free from crime and the schemes of corrupt politicians. My dear Mr. President, you have a lot to learn!"

~*~*~*~

Up at the command centre, Sailor Pluto closed her eyes in prayer for a moment before looking up at the half Moon, peeking through the clouds. "She's done it, Serenity," she whispered. "You can be proud of her." Then the Guardian of Time allowed herself to be swept away by the cheering crowds of soldiers, celebrating the victory and the end of the war.

~*~*~*~

Mamoru embraced Usagi like a drowning man would a life preserver. Usagi hugged him back, and let Venus handle the minor inconvenience of handing their prisoner over to the soldiers for confinement. "Don't ever do that again, Usako," Mamoru whispered into his wife's ear.

"Since when have you known me to let others do my fighting?" Usagi replied with a defiant, if mischievous, smile. Mamoru shook his head and led the Queen of Crystal Tokyo back towards the camp through crowds of cheering soldiers. "Is the battle finally over, Mamo-chan?" she asked.

"Usako, I don't think that there is anyone left alive to fight," Mamoru said with some regret.

Usagi… no, Neo-Queen Serenity… looked into her husband and King's eyes. "Mamo-chan," she said firmly, "if there is one thing I have learnt over the last few years, it is this. There will always be someone hateful enough, stupid enough, greedy enough or _frightened_ enough to fight. There is always someone else, some new Enemy." She sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. 

"Are you okay?" Mamoru asked, worried.

Usagi nodded with a smile. "Pay me no mind," she said. "For now, let us rest and enjoy the peace. We have earned it, I think." Mamoru nodded in agreement and continued to lead her towards the camp.

However… in only 900 years time… when Nemesis appeared in the skies over the Earth, he would remember those words…

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The Beginning…


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